Hoontah

2011-08-24T10:34:00.005-06:00

{Annmarie investigating the function of the epiglottis on the internet.} My six-year-old is stubborn and inquisitive. She constantly bombards me with questions and doesn't stop until she gets a satisfying answer. When I'm feeling less patient, I tell her the answer to Life the Universe and Everything is forty-two and send her out to play. But the questions persist. I realize part of that is her

2011-08-22T10:34:00.001-06:00

{Down but not out.} Dear Blog, Life is not easy. And lately I've been a little testy. You see I had the opportunity to talk to an amazing woman who has had health issues similar to my own. She is a gorgeous wife, mother of eight and grandmother to dozens. She has an amazing attitude and carries herself with spunk and sparkle. As we talked I flooded her with questions which spilled so fast I

2011-08-05T21:43:00.001-06:00

{copyright Jason Stevens} I believe happiness is a choice. We may not always be able to change our circumstances but we have total control over how we react to it. Sometimes it's easy to let life's ups and downs dictate how we

2011-07-19T23:01:00.003-06:00

{Em on a climbing trip} My oldest daughter is at a girls camp this week. I miss her. It's the first time in five years I haven't been at the same camp as a volunteer. Wow life turns on a dime, doesn't it? But the good news is that I get to spend the week uninterrupted with this kid. Which means we will probably be doing a lot of this: {She's got an obsession with shoes} Look at those cheeks!

2011-07-05T13:01:00.001-06:00

Happy Summer! We found a surprise in our brooder boxes this weekend! We were so excited by the first egg we had a mini-celebration. Farm fresh eggs are the best. And then we had a lovely fourth with great friends. It was a blast! Kim over at Going Gordon posted a great slide show of the festivities. Wow, I wrote this post while my kids were watching Enchanted. Can you tell?

2011-06-30T22:51:00.001-06:00

{My petunias after the microburst} Last night a microburst ripped through our cul-de-sac. It took about a minute-and-a-half for the finger of God to tear a hole in our street. The entire neighborhood converged to survey the damage. There were some broken tree limbs, missing lawn ornaments and a few loose shingles. My neighbor's trampoline ended up wrapped around a flagpole. It could have been so

2011-06-27T22:58:00.003-06:00

Life is good here's why: Em spilled water on my keyboard, the left shift key died. If anybody know's a quick/inexpensive fix please share. hugs, k (<---see no shifting, RIP, sniff.) p.s. The song is by The Rouge. They are amazing live and they are still up and coming so if you like, show the love.

2011-06-22T21:36:00.000-06:00

{Annmarie eating her burger.} Today I spoke to a Girl's Camp from Lehi. I committed to the event a million years ago then forgot about it. I was afraid I wouldn't have the same public speaking skills. Sometimes I can't find the right words. I did alright, though it fried my brain. I took Em with me and we laughed all the way home. Hard. It was awesome. I always knew I would love my kids but I

2011-06-20T12:48:00.005-06:00

My father-in-law said, "Don't wait for a better day. Live your life. Doing will make it better." He's right. Don't wait. Make today good.

2011-06-17T13:55:00.007-06:00

{Me in my Ragnar Team Shirt 2009- I can't help thinking of my teammates today.} Good Luck to all of my friends running this today. I've blogged about my own experiences running this race in Vegas and The Wasatch Back. Who knows, maybe I can be back at it next year. I had to have more blood drawn today. It got a little sporty. It's getting harder for the techs to find a vein willing to

2011-06-16T21:28:00.001-06:00

Em got a bike for her birthday. Isn't it cute? She was so excited she screamed and clapped, and jumped up and down. Then I got all chocked up because I'm getting soft like that. Don't you remember your bike? The one you loved? The one with streamers and a basket or big fat tires you could take over jumps? Mine came from a garage sale. My mom painted it lavender then stayed up for two nights

2011-06-15T17:39:00.075-06:00

{N. clowning around.} Today I had big plans. Mornings are so promising and chock full of possibilities. Think about it, anything is possible first thing in the morning. I'm a sucker for mornings. Mostly because I feel indestructible before ten-fifteen. Well, not indestructible exactly. I'm usually pretty thirsty. An unquenchable thirst is standard for me nowadays and it's the WORST when I first

Coming to terms with reality

2011-06-14T18:43:00.006-06:00

A few weeks ago I was trying to fuel my car when my cell phone rang. It was the Friday before Memorial day at around 4:30 p.m. You can imagine how packed it was at the pumps. Visualize vehicles everywhere, SUVs' with boats, minivans and trailers, compact cars loaded to the ceiling with luggage and pillows. And right in the middle of it was my car blocking two fuel pumps while I talked on the

Day 111

2010-11-21T00:59:00.001-07:00

Hey, look who I found.

Giving Good Voice

2010-10-12T09:44:00.002-06:00

I've put my stories so far under my bed I think they've found their way to the garage where I was happy to let them stay. But now I'm teaching this *&%^&% literature class and it's forcing me to read again, no more than read, it's forcing me to examine words and their meaning. And it stirs things in me. Things I'd just assume go forgotten. My life is back to the beginning. Everything I will do

Day 51

2010-09-20T11:16:00.000-06:00

I had a great weekend canyoneering with friends. Actually, it was the youth group activity I've had to cancel four times due to dangerous weather. My friend KimG posted a fantastic entry about the trip. In other news the United Kingdom is cracking down on photoshopping. A group of healthy body advocates are pushing for warning labels on all ads that have been retouched, you know, like the

Day 45

2010-09-14T23:21:00.001-06:00

The food thing? It's been weird. Lately, I haven't craved much of anything. I went through a whole wheat bread with creamed honey phase for almost all my meals. And I'm so through with strawberries. Blech. I bought a case of peaches with big plans to make jam. I pulled out all the canning supplies and read through my cookbooks fantasizing about all the possibilities. I made some yummy salsa

Day 40

2010-09-09T14:42:00.001-06:00

I just signed on to teach another class next semester. This will be in addition to my Public Speaking courses. I'm super excited about the content but it's a pretty new class on campus so I'm going to need some help from you readers to get it going. It's Oral Interpretation of Literature. I guess I just can't stay out of the theatre. I'm pretty excited to sink my teeth back into books and

Day 33

2010-09-02T15:57:00.004-06:00

For my husband's birthday I gave him a trip. Basically we'd go anywhere or do anything he wanted to for a long weekend. I had my own ideas on what would be fun. This is what he chose: Whanna see it from a MonkeyCAM? Um, that "Monkeycam" is going off a 290 foot rappel! Those little, itty, bity, white things are People! Yeah, you read that right, nearly 300 freakin' feet of terror!!

Day 31

2010-08-31T23:28:00.003-06:00

Labor day is coming. Yay! Time for another vacation? I'm still trying to decide. The last one was so amazing just thinking about it and I'm Jonesen for another river. Did I mention that we had a party on the last night of our river trip? We had 20 plus people over for Prime Rib, my friend KimG's amazing roasted veggies and homemade ice cream! Virg- Our patron saint. The whole reason the

Day 30

2010-08-30T13:46:00.000-06:00

What do I want? To create! Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream I want to take something I love . . . And make it . . . Better. Or conceptualize a project I've wanted to do forever and finally make it happen. TNG and I built all the furniture in this room (floors included) except the sofa. The black table in the corner is a goner now that my man has built me the

Day 25

2010-08-25T14:38:00.002-06:00

Here is how my assignment works. I can eat absolutely anything, and I mean anything, I want (including peanut butter cookie dough for breakfast) as long as my body is actually hungry for it. Now hunger is tricky. Sure, I know how it feels to be famished in a panicked sort of way that if I don't eat this very second I might shrivel up and die. And I know how to eat so little I can barely get off

Day 23- For Real

2010-08-23T20:59:00.000-06:00

Today my youngest started Kindergarten. I asked her what she learned. She made a tee and said, "This means you have to go to the bathroom, and you should never go in the corner." Ah, my tax dollars hard at work.

Day 23

2010-08-23T16:16:00.000-06:00

This morning I was messing around on my blog, trying to make it more user friendly and apparently I accidentally blocked ALL of you. I am so sorry. It was not intentional. You are all very nice readers and deserve better. Everything should be back up in running now. Thanks Kim for the heads up! Kristi

Day 22

2010-08-22T22:16:00.002-06:00

Today, I read an article by a new author. We were in the submission trenches together. She got a million dollar book contract and I, well, did not. Anyway, she was talking about balancing writing and family life and how she'd come to the conclusion that she could only do two things at once, write and parent. But she was fine with it, writing and parenting are enough to fill her up. I closed my

Day 21

2010-08-21T22:03:00.001-06:00

I've really, REALLY been trying to listen to myself and give it what it needs. I'm a little embarrassed to admit this but I have really been scared to trust myself with this venture. What if I only crave chocolate or ice cream? What if I want to eat fried chicken all the time? What if I want to leave my whole life behind and became a Las Vegas stripper ? Then what? Huh? Huh? Was listening to

Day 19

2010-08-19T22:15:00.002-06:00

So sorry for the skip in days. I was going to try to post an entry for every day this month but catching up has turned out to be a bit unrealistic, especially this week, which has turned out to be quite the week. The kids are going back to school in a few days and I am so, so bummed. We've been having such a good time together just being lazy and summery. I'm not ready for it to end not for them

Day 13

2010-08-18T13:36:00.003-06:00

If you happen to end up in Garden Valley Idaho, might I suggest a trip to the hot springs? Yes, it is warm, even when outside temps are not. Yes, there is room for all of your friends. Yes, I may be sitting on the edge of an old piece of wool carpet someone dragged across the river, up a sidehill, and dropped in the hot springs so they wouldn't have to sit on rocks. (Eew.) No, I did not

Day 12

2010-08-18T13:04:00.003-06:00

Today we are in Garden Valley, Idaho. It is cold and wet and beautiful and I wish I lived here. This part of Idaho is beautiful, lush and green and so, so peaceful. It rained hard yesterday so today it smells amazing, like pine and sage and rushing water. We are paddling the easiest section of river. A class one, no real dangers, just floating, enjoying the sights, letting my teenager learn

Day 11

2010-08-18T11:40:00.002-06:00

I am a worrier. I worry about a lot of things, big and small. I worry about having enough money to retire even though I'm only 35. I worry about letting the hotel room get too messy before the maid comes in to clean it. I worry that my 10 year old isn't getting enough hugs and that my 5 year old doesn't eat enough fiber. I worry that the Democrats will stay in the White House or that the

Day 10

2010-08-18T11:13:00.005-06:00

Look what I found in the bargain bin at the evil big box store that shall not be named in this blog. Amazon lists this book for $15.95 but I got it for (*drum roll*) 50 cents! It had the silliest name of a self help book I'd ever read. Of course, for that price I had to own it. I also bought a book of mad libs, two sudoku books and a crossword puzzle for the long trip to Idaho. Since the

Days 7, 8, and 9- My Summer vacation

2010-08-18T10:55:00.002-06:00

Hello Blog world. It's been so long. I've finally broken my internet fast and am ready to bring you up to speed. I've just returned from my annual family summer vacation. Do you want to know what I did? Well . . . For the first four days of our trip we stayed in Park City, Utah. It's changed so much I hardly recognize the place. Man, do I miss my old stomping grounds on the backside of the

Day 7

2010-08-06T12:19:00.003-06:00

If you can at all relate to this: "The years of coming home from school and wandering from empty room to empty room. I would sit on the beige-velvet couch and stare at the still-life painting . . . I would go into the kitchen and open the refrigerator door, close it, and then open it. Close it. Open it. Eat. I would walk into my mother's bedroom and smell the traces of Joy perfume, open her

Day 6

2010-08-05T12:09:00.002-06:00

Guess what I'm doing? It's called the Cabarton Run in Idaho. And I'm doing it in my own boat! Doesn't it look fun?! Thanks to TheDarwinK for the video! Wish me luck.

Day 5

2010-08-05T10:43:00.002-06:00

It's only been five days and I've already learned something significant about myself. I care too much about too many things. So, as a means to lighten my load—emotionally speaking—I am turning off my comments. I just care too much about what you have to say—or don't say for that matter— and that is no way to get to know myself. So, I'm officially, for real, turning this into an online journal. *

Day 4

2010-08-05T10:37:00.002-06:00

Today was a step backward on the road to self discovery. Why? Three words: Mint Grasshopper Pie Need I say more?

Day 3

2010-08-04T11:11:00.003-06:00

Dear Mary, Thank you for your concern. I so appreciate your empathy. But your comments made me wonder if I needed to make a few clarifications about the journey I'm sharing. Perhaps I wasn't as clear as I would have liked and now I need to offer an explanation. In February, I received an email. It was a personal rejection to my full manuscript from one of the biggest agents in the

Day 2

2010-08-03T08:51:00.001-06:00

I ran with the sunflowers this morning. They were glorious, tall and plump with seeds. I run or bike that section of road nearly everyday and today was the first time I've noticed them. So I'm wondering, did they all blossom overnight or is this the first morning I was looking for them?

Day 1 1/2

2010-08-03T08:36:00.010-06:00

After church, I felt much better. About myself, and life, and even my neighbor. God gently whispered in my heart that he knew me and loved me and was aware of my joys and hurts, as well as my neighbors and I wanted to give her a hug. My hubby's asked for a nickname. He says that if the kids get them. He wants one too. He suggested The Norse God. I call him that sometimes when he does something

Day 1

2010-08-03T08:36:00.009-06:00

Yesterday, I woke late. I really wanted to use it as an excuse not to go to church. I was feeling edgy and thought it was a good idea to avoid people until I felt nice again. But I knew I'd feel better if I went. Plus church gives me the chance to wear some of my favorite shoes. For this Sunday, it was a fantastic pair of wing-tips with HIGH heels that make me want to admire my feet under the

To eat or not to eat...

2010-07-31T20:03:00.041-06:00

I don't know what I want this blog to be. Sometimes I think I want to share only funny stories from my life. Sometimes I want to be a whistle blower to all the injustice I see around me and other times I want to share what I learn with others. But what I want the most is to tell the truth. Even though it scares the bejeebers out of me. Because this year has been tough and I feel like I've been

Glossed Over- For all those women who sense they are being lied to.

2010-06-30T22:20:00.001-06:00

For all of the women who feel they are increasingly being lied to in the media. Glossed Over, a blog about the discontent with media's depiction of women. Warning: There is a great deal of discussion about the sexual objectification of women and cites examples from popular women's magazines that show the pervasive effects on us individually and collectively as a culture.

Does anyone really know?

2010-06-16T11:40:00.005-06:00

Confession: I haven't written a word of fiction in five months. Ahem. I should clarify. I haven't written a word of intentional fiction in five months. My journal is stuffed with pages where I blindly convince myself I have no desire whatsoever to write fiction and really want to be a butcher, baker, candlestick maker, landscape designer, dressmaker or hatter, anything less painful and more

Good thing? Bad thing?

2010-06-11T23:38:00.003-06:00

And my streak continues. I am beginning to think I messed with karma and she is out to get me. :) My luck has been something else lately. It's just one thing after another around here. Please forgive my sporadic blogging. I've been trying to stay above water. I suppose I can look at the mounting medical bills, near misses, cancelled plans and life dream disappointments as some kind of losing

Memorial Weekend

2010-05-18T12:34:00.002-06:00

If you are going to be in Central Utah over Memorial Weekend and are looking for something fun to do. Come check out The Scandinavian Festival. It's an annual two day event that celebrates the Scandinavian pioneers that settled Sanpete Valley. There will be food, music, a traditional trade exhibition, a 5 and 10 K race, a tour of local historical sights and storytelling, just to name a few of

Let's throw 48 teenage girls off a cliff and call it good!

2010-05-14T16:24:00.003-06:00

Check out this link to my partner in crime Kim G. I am the buddy she discusses in the article. At least I better be. *hint, hint* We talked our husbands into helping us out on this particular activity and this is the result. I can't wait for our trip to Baptist Draw in a few weeks. We are going to introduce the young women in our community to a whole new world. Happy Friday!

Lie Number Two-There is a secret to beauty and it's easy!

2010-05-12T11:48:00.007-06:00

I wish this lie were true. Believe me, if there was a cream, pill or drug that would make losing weight and regaining a love of self possible, I would buy it. Heck, I'd be the number one promotor! But there isn't. The truth is if you want to learn to love and accept yourself, it's going to take a whole lot of hard work. Oh sure, there is some snake oil that will work for a while, but not in

Happy Halloween

2009-10-30T13:27:00.000-06:00

Have we lost sight of the true meaning of the holiday? In The Know: Has Halloween Become Overcommercialized?

Of those we don't speak of . . .

2009-10-27T09:50:00.017-06:00

Well, my flu never materialized. It turns out it's just the fall. I should have known. Every single year, about the second week in October, I pick up a bizarre cold. I can tell you why . . . but you'll have to lean in close. Make sure no one is listening and I'll tell you of those who's names we do not dare speak . . .If you were to drive a few hours south of Salt Lake you would come to a

In Too Deep- Music Monday

2009-10-19T09:47:00.007-06:00

Well, I think this song pretty much sums up my life.In Too Deep- Sum 41The band members of Sum 41 look so much like the guys I hung out with in high school I had to laugh out loud. My peeps might not have been the buffest guys in school but they were definitely the most entertaining. I know I promised to take a break from all things blogger for a while but I had to share a very brief acronym I

Running to Vegas

2009-10-11T20:05:00.015-06:00

I'm back from the Las Vegas Ragnar Relay. It was a lot of fun. I don't think I've laughed that hard in a very long time. It made me realize a few things. First, when the hotel clerk at the Virgin River asks if it's okay to stay in a Pet Friendly room, say no. Second, don't be afraid to be foolish.Make mistakes.Don't worry about what people think.Third, if you can't run like a track star, run

Maybe it's not so bad to be a cow.

2009-10-06T08:03:00.009-06:00

My friend Ali posted this on her blog and I'm stealing it.There is nothing I can say about this video. It speaks for itself. Except . . . I want to be this kind of writer. Not the udder kind. *Cough, cough*Libba Bray rules!!Happy Tuesday.

It's Finished!!!

2009-09-29T09:40:00.006-06:00

I just finished revisions on my Book. Huzzah! Can you celebrate with me? No really. Get out of your chair and do a happy dance. Even though this was technically my second draft, I basically rewrote the entire book. Twice. You should see my outtakes file. It's got a higher word count than my book. Guess I'm not one of those writers that pounds out a book in three months. I must be the other kind

Busy, busy, busy . . .

2009-08-13T20:27:00.008-06:00

I haven't actively written for the last few weeks. Sorry. I know you've all seen through my veiled attempts to keep things active by posting pictures and videos. But it's only because I've been swamped. I am working my little tail off on my edits. Okay, I'm probably working too hard. It's just so difficult to make the words work. The plot needs to be water-tight, the prose needs to stay true to

Christmas in August!!!!

2009-08-12T15:02:00.014-06:00

This is for Laura . . . and all the parents who still see the innate value in our flawed public school system.Can you feel the blissful silence coming? It's better than Christmas! But that's not all . . .Because I am such a huge fan of school supplies. Huge! I have to post this one as well. Because A) my hair totally looks like this when I go to the beach and B) if this writing thing doesn't pan

Music Monday- All things Gleeky

2009-08-03T10:18:00.009-06:00

I was a member of Show Choir in High School and Drama Club, Speech and Debate, and Academic Decathalon. Most of my friends were in Band and Cross Country. Yes, I was a geek but before Nerd fighters and Lord of the Rings movies and Comicon. I know, it's hard to believe there was a time when looking like Napolean Dynamite was so not cool. I still remember that wonderful ride Senior Year on the

Mad Hatter

2009-08-01T18:25:00.007-06:00

Saturday's a Special Day. . .

2009-07-11T10:38:00.005-06:00

It's going to take some time to resolve my emotions over what happened to my father. He was mauled by dogs while hiking. He did nothing to provoke them. They just snapped. In fact the owners where so afraid they did nothing to stop the attack. No one is really sure how my Dad escaped. Running on shock and adrenaline he managed to get himself off the mountain and to the emergency room. According

How I climbed a mountain on no sleep, a fifth of an orange and a chug o' chocolate milk.

2009-07-02T19:49:00.035-06:00

So, last year I got writers block. It happens. Oh, I always have loads of ideas and can usually pull one out of thin air with little effort but those stupid transition chapters give me trouble. Last May I sat at my computer wondering how to get my protagonist from point A to B and I started questioning my future. I realized that in less than I week I was going to be at a conference with real

"You know, I've been thinkin'. . . "

2009-06-22T11:08:00.010-06:00

This weekend was amazing! I ran, hands down, the best run of my life. It changed me. Wow, I change a lot. I think I'm sort of change junkie. It's the gardener in me. Plants grow the best when they are challenged. I love a good challenge. Anyway, I'm planning on posting a long entry with lots of pictures from my weekend later—promise.First, I just wanted to post something for Music Monday. Can one

One telephone pole at a time.

2009-06-17T10:35:00.013-06:00

Friday, I'm running with twelve teammates to bridge the distance over the Back of the Wasatch Mountains from Logan to Park City, Utah. That's 180+ miles if you are wondering. In 24 hours. My personal chunk of the mileage is 16.8 miles broken up into three segments, including a lung burning four mile climb over Guardsman Pass above Midway, Utah where I will run 4 miles at 8,000+ feet gaining 1700

I have a blister where? Music Monday

2009-06-01T10:17:00.019-06:00

It's Monday already? Sheesh this summer is getting ahead of me. I have far too much to do this week to spend time on my blog. But I had to leave something for you to do while I'm feverishly scrambling to catch up. For Music Monday, I picked something a little reminiscent of high school. One band stuck with me through all of the drama and angst of adolescence. Especially when my parent's

Seduced by Bacon

2009-05-27T17:37:00.016-06:00

It's not a mystery that I love books. My office is so inundated with them, I'm starting to lose track of the titles because that they double stacked on the bookshelf. Along with my beautiful collection of classics and modern fiction, I am also an avid collector of cookbooks. I have sixty eight at last count. With fabulous titles like New York- Authentic Recipes Celebrating the Foods of the World

Music Monday- Am I good enough?

2009-05-18T23:18:00.005-06:00

Is it really eleven p.m.? My goodness how this Monday got away from me. Today was a fantastic day. In fact, I cannot think of a better day. Not only did I get to run with the rising sun, I ran again as it set. And to top it off, I enjoyed it with great friends and abundant laughter.I am on a high. My training for the Wasatch Back in June is down to the wire. Which means I am logging hours and

Something funny

2009-05-14T17:18:00.002-06:00

Don't know how long this will stay up. Enjoy it while you can.Trekkies Bash New Star Trek Film As 'Fun, Watchable'

Music Monday- Ms. Judgement and Creativity- round 2

2009-05-11T16:36:00.007-06:00

I just took a personality test. These silly little tests are popping up everywhere. I don't credit personality tests with being too accurate but this one was right on the mark. Yes, it would have been great to be one of the more sensible Jane Austin Characters, but let's be honest, if I were a Jane Austin Character, this is definitely who I'd be. Take the Quiz here!It's time to pass the hat back

Throwing the Bat

2009-05-09T10:49:00.023-06:00

My son loves baseball. Deeply. Which is a bit of a surprise since both my husband and I are not fans of spectator sports. We'd rather run a river, climb a cliff or ride single track going forty miles an hour with our kids than spend our Saturdays on sticky bleachers wilting in the sun. Just for the record, my children are incredibly spoiled. Most people never get the opportunity to see and do the

Music Monday- Savin' me.

2009-05-04T12:45:00.002-06:00

I'm in the middle of edits. Ms. Judgement is pleased. She can be as persnickety as she likes and I'm just letting her have at it. I'm a little amazed at how easy it's been to divorce myself from my story. Everything on the page is fair game at this point. I'm not nearly as bothered as I thought I would be to 'kill my darlings'. Rest assured faithful editors, I'm being merciful this go round. And

The booths are still open!

2009-04-30T22:39:00.005-06:00

Are you seriously going to make me post the Break-up story? You people are so mean. Skinheads don't interest you? They don't interest me either. Which is why it was such a horrible blind date! What about a sweet first kiss story? Come on people. Romantics of the world unite. Let your voice be heard. Or I'm keeping my humiliation in the vault.

Judgement's got Creativity in a Full-Nelson-Music Monday

2009-04-27T08:58:00.009-06:00

I am my worst critique. Always have been. It doesn't matter how much praise is heaped upon my little head, I just can't get past the things I feel I don't do well. My friends say I have selective hearing. No matter how much I've done well, I only hear the critic hovering over my shoulder tearing my efforts apart. In some ways this could be a good thing. I run farther, push harder and stay

Back to the beginning

2009-04-25T23:22:00.014-06:00

Just returned from the Storymakers conference. Made some new friends. Reconnected with old ones. And finally got to meet online friends face to face. It's so hard to come home. Not that I don't miss my family when I'm gone. I do. It's just that my writer friends understand the insanity. They know the angst of trying to come up with the perfect plot twist. And the thrill of finally nailing the

Real Kissing, Embarrassing Breakups and Skinheads...Oh why?

2009-04-21T23:18:00.014-06:00

Okay, I promised some very cool chica's I'd blog about my very first kiss. You know the one girls practice for on the back of their hand to make sure they get it just right. (Of course I never did that.* Ahem.* I meant other girls, with rainbow pajamas and a Johnny Depp poster hanging on the wall--I love how this sentence doesn't at date me. At all. Thank you, Johnny.) Anywho, I agreed that I'd

Music Monday- The Reason

2009-04-20T14:16:00.002-06:00

Don't have a lot of time today. I have tons on my plate right now, with the upcoming writers conference, forensics (speech/debate) training and auditions, papers and exams to grade, training for the upcoming 180 mile relay race, responsibilities with the youth group in my church and of course, the never ending family responsibilities. Still. There's always time for a story. I've always liked this

Music Mondays

2009-04-13T09:07:00.018-06:00

My name doesn't fit my personality. Seriously. When I was a kid, I'd lie in bed and count the days until I could legally change it to March or Lola--something, anything--besides Kristi. What were my parents thinking? Kristi is great for the cheerleader at the annual car wash fundraiser in cut offs and a tube top. Not the girl who turned down the hottest guy in school when he finally asked her out

It's a girl!

2009-04-10T14:55:00.008-06:00

Well, she's about three months overdue but she's finally here, in full. I am so proud. I must admit that it was my most difficult delivery. But finally she has arrived. A 66,610 word bundle of energy. And you know what? It's really good. I get giddy just thinking about it. It's not the story I imagined writing ten years ago. But it's definitely a lot of fun. I can only relate it to the birth of

Obsession

2009-04-09T09:08:00.011-06:00

Some people I obsess over. The checker at Walmart who's missing two teeth, the UPS Driver who delivers packages in shorts no matter the weather, the ambitious student with the amazing smile that never quite reaches his eyes or the girl in my night class that wore a blue blouse so stunning that it actually changed the color of her eyes. I wonder about these people. These are the reasons I don't

I lost a chapter today.

2009-03-11T17:46:00.004-06:00

That's right. You read that correctly. I did in fact write a kick*** chapter. One of my finest ever. In fact, I was so wrapped up in the emotion of the thing. I didn't notice that my laptop was working on reserved power. My blessed little Mac flashed a warning window to let me know I only had four percent power. I closed it immediately because I was on a serious roll. Yes, I see the error of my

How much time have you taken today?

2009-02-26T12:07:00.002-07:00

For Jason, who will go to any length for his girls.

Back from LTUE

2009-02-22T15:19:00.014-07:00

A brief list of things I learned at the Life The Universe and Everything 2009 Writing conference. (In no particular order.)1-For every ten dollars spent on books at the BYU bookstore, you get a voucher for a basketball game. (I came home with 17.)2- Snap! Ferrero Raffello Coconut Almond Treats are out of this world. 4-That Dashner Dude can really work a room. 5-The Utah writer talent pool is very

2009-02-15T15:56:00.003-07:00

What could be better than Shannon Hale interviewing your favorite writers? When one of those writers happens to be one of the coolest people I know. Click here to read the giggle inducing interview with Janette Rallison. BTW if you haven't read My Fair Godmother yet, you are missing out.

Writing Glamorously

2009-02-15T14:18:00.011-07:00

As I was sitting in Church, listening (okay pretending to listen) to the speaker. It suddenly occurred to me that I am close. VERY CLOSE to finishing my book. I am a week, perhaps less to finishing my draft. Holy Crap!Before you start a collective sigh of relief that I finally finished the *^%$&#*@ book. You need to realize how huge this is for me. No, not because I will finally be able to pay

Paths--shamelessly stolen from Melinda Morely. Revision

2009-02-10T21:13:00.006-07:00

In a recent post over at http//melindamorely.com.blog, my separated at birth friend Melinda, has been thinking paths and how each choice leads us in unimaginable directions. I have a path of my own that I've been on for a while that illustrates this beautifully. Last year, my husband suggested we take a backpacking trip to Havasupi, Arizona. We backpack regularly so it wasn't at all odd for Jason

Being Uniquely You--cliff notes

2009-02-10T14:49:00.005-07:00

I spoke to my congregation on Sunday. I felt so strongly about the subject, I thought I'd post an abridged version here:When I was asked to introduce the LDS Young Womens Theme to my ward I felt to say the least, a little bit daunted. The topic? Be thou an example of the Believers. What does that mean? To be an example? I marvel at the examples all around me. So what kind of example am I supposed

Disney ate us Alive! Pt III--a photographic expose

2009-02-05T15:12:00.005-07:00

Forty five minutes of agony. Thirty seconds of pleasure.Noah less than dazzled by the Disney Princesses. He was suspicious of the whole "Dreams Come True" Philosophy. The focus of his disdain. Grandma, Noah, Kate, Unknown child and Emma dancing in Animal Kingdom. You should see Noah shimmy.

Disney Ate us Alive! Part II

2009-02-05T14:13:00.006-07:00

Two years ago, on a whim, Jason and I took the kids to Disneyland. We didn't plan ahead, we just booked a hotel, pulled the kids out of school and drove to California. We had a tremendous time. Which was a surprise actually. My childhood memories of Disney vacations were less than golden, so I was expecting nothing short of heart-wrenching misery. I was so pleasantly surprised, I became a Disney

Disney ate us Alive! Pt I

2009-02-05T14:10:00.002-07:00

Why am I awake?

2009-01-22T05:29:00.002-07:00

It's four thirty in the morning. It seems like the older I get, the less I sleep. Age doesn't kill people, it's the lack of sleep. I was in bed but I have a cold and couldn't stand the suffering any longer. Since my running partners are still resting comfortably in their homes, I thought I drop a quick note. My writing hasn't gone as well as I'd hoped this week. It has turned out to be an

2009-01-20T22:38:00.004-07:00

Word count....0. Don't raz me about it. I was kind of distracted. BTW Obama's speech. Wow. I finally got to show a speech by a current president without explaining how it could have been better. It's a public speaking miracle. Yay!

Word Count Update.

2009-01-19T12:21:00.001-07:00

Monday--Word Count 2760.

I'm Back

2009-01-18T16:24:00.005-07:00

Hello readers. Welcome to my new blog. For my loyal followers who have waited for something. Thanks for being patient. It's great to be back. I've been on a media diet for the last few months. It was great. Far too much time is wasted on the internet, away from sunlight, living like a vampire in a virtual world. It's too mind numbing for me. Life is too short to waste inside. I suppose that